Franklin Elementary School by Sara Hawley, Principal We in the schools sometimes feel overwhelmed with the job of helping to educate the "whole child."  This awesome responsibility, however, belongs to us all - educators, parents, community members.   That is why the SOAR Program has become such a key factor in this "whole child" educational pursuit. SOAR support has allowed us to consider opportunities for students that would normally have been beyond our reach.  Who else could inspire elementary students better than UW-Oshkosh students and professors in week-long scientist residency programs? How else could students learn desert dances, play exotic instruments, tattoo with natural dyes, etc. with artists from the Milwaukee Folk Fair? Where else could students work together with cartographers, papermakers or puppeteers? These many and varied opportunities have been possible because of the SOAR program.  This exposure and enrichment is certain to have an impact on the lives of students forever. We are fortunate to have SOAR as a partner in educating the "whole child. Webster Stanley Middle School by Linda Hofacker-Mongin, Principal Sue Knippel, Gifted/Talented Resource We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for helping us to bring the outstanding SOAR programs we have had at our school this semester.  Every student in each grade will have had an opportunity to work side by side with a real, practicing artist by the end of the year.   The responses from parents and students have been overwhelmingly positive. Students may not always remember the things we teach them as part of our classroom curriculum, but the SOAR experiences they have had were so unique that they will be remembered for a lifetime. Students for years to come will be visiting our school to see their tile on the wall mural Bill Grover helped them create.  They will relive the memories of their eighth grade Trees for Tomorrow experience through this work of art. The sixth grader's puppets are dancing on the bookshelves at the Public Library, after a dazzling performance before a delighted elementary school audience.  Joan Mosling makes magic happen through her puppetry with kids! The seventh graders will soon be writing lyrics and music with Robbie Clement as a culminating event for their “trip around Lake Winnebago” - real music, with a real artist, to help them express their experiences on their real trip around the lake. This is a special gift to both the school and the student's personal life experience.  As an administrator and a parent, we thank you for helping to make these special experiences happen for our kids. Webster Stanley SOAR Committee Our residency with Mary Tooley was a wonderful addition to our focus on multi-culturism.  Thank you so much for your support of programs such as these.  Without your financial support, the children and whole school community would have missed out on this great exposure to cultures and customs other than our own.  To some students this program also added to celebrating their own culture with those of us unfamiliar with it.  Thank you sincerely. Roosevelt School Artist-in-Residence:  Bob Kahn Students and staff all enjoyed participating in Bob's large group presentation.  He was able to integrate our "Splish Splash" water theme very well into all the stories and activities presented, thus making everyone very excited and motivated about the theme.  A sense of school community develops from meeting together and beginning something together.  Even the Early Childhood and Bright Beginnings classes had a chance to integrate with the whole school.  Bob added a lot of humor which helped with their attention spans.  The students involved in the small groups, which were geared toward the gifted and talented, not only had an opportunity to think, act, and compose creatively, but also to teach and lead the rest of their class. Franklin Elementary School Opera for the Young Both students and staff had an extremely positive exposure to a very misunderstood art form - opera.  While many students had a negative opinion about opera before preparation for this performance began, almost all students had a very positive opinion of opera after the performance, and are excited about learning a new opera next year. Student Comment: "I think 'The Elixir of Love' is a very good opera.  Now I don't think opera is just a fat lady singing. Thank you for coming to my school." Roosevelt Elementary School Novel Ideas We all gained motivation in writing a story using character, location, activity, and plot.  The students were quite excited that Novel Ideas was making a return visit.  This was one of the best assemblies we ever had. Student Comments:   "I liked the way you explained the stories but in a funny way. You will help me write more interesting stories." "Novel Ideas, you are very funny.  I think you should be on TV." "You guys are really talented and it made me get excited about writing." "I enjoyed Novel Ideas.   They were really fun.  After Novel Ideas, I had a story, and now I can't wait to write it." "Novel Ideas teaches you better skills to cooperate with other people.  It makes you laugh, but you learn more things.  You are silly and fun actors.  You think good stories to act, and you act them well." Teacher Comment:   "They really involved the children by working the crowd.  Students enjoyed the presentation.  They are excited about making up stories. It reinforced what we teach in effective writing. Lakeside School Opera for the Young Parent Comment:   "Having Hansel and Gretel brought in the school allowed the children a unique opportunity for participation and exposure to music.  Watching the expressions on the children's faces was wonderful.  Seeing the angels (the students) gather around Hansel and Gretel and sing their song then having the student body join in brought tears to my eyes." Merrill Middle School 1960's Project Teacher Comment:   "The day was highly motivational. The students loved it.  In the hallway I overheard a student saying, 'I wish every day was like today.'  It created interest by the sixth graders - allowing me to discuss important '60's political events.   Let's do it again next year!" Jefferson Elementary Creative Drama for Children with Teng Xiong The students involved learned a lot about storytelling, how to write a play, patience and discipline needed to get ready for a play and other theatrical techniques.  They also learned how to work together in multicultural and multi-grade level groups.  By having a Hmong group as our artists, students and staff saw positive Hmong role models as well as learned a great deal about Hmong culture and history. Parent Comment:  "My family attended the Creative Drama performance.  We had a wonderful evening.   The children's plays were very entertaining and the performance by the Hmong theatrical group was very beautiful and moving.  Thank you for bringing such a wonderful event to Oshkosh."

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